: a closed meeting of a group of persons belonging to the same political party or faction usually to select candidates or to decide on policy
a presidential caucus
also
: a group of people united to promote an agreed-upon cause
caucused; caucusing; caucuses
: to meet in or hold a caucus
The committee caucused to select the most promising candidates.
Did you know?
It’s hard to pinpoint the exact origins of caucus, but some scholars think the word may have developed from an Algonquian term for a group of elders, leaders, or advisers. An early example of the word in use comes from John Adams, who in February of 1763 reported that the Boston “caucus club,” a group of politically active city elders, would soon meet and that, at the meetings, those present would “smoke tobacco till you [could not] see from one end of the garret to the other.” A similarly opaque smoke screen seems to cloud the history of caucus to this day.
Cite this Entry
“Caucus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/caucus. Accessed 1 Oct. 2026.
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